Marcella Burke ‘12

Mike Huckabee interviewed University of Houston Law Center alumna Marcella Burke ‘12 on his radio show regarding a pro bono case. Burke is representing Kaitlyn Samuels, the 16 year-old daughter of decorated Navy Capt. Mark Samuels. TRICARE, the health care program that serves members of the U.S. military and their families, will not cover Kaitlyn’s therapy for scoliosis.

Burke is an associate at Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld in the firm’s litigation and appellate practice. Her legal practice focuses on complex commercial litigation, appeals, and arbitration. Her clients include a full range of private and publically traded corporations in the commercial, energy, financial, and oil and gas industries.

She earned her J.D. from the University of Houston Law Center where she served an associate editor of the Houston Law Review. She also served as an editor on the Harvard Journal of Law and Public Policy 2012 Editorial Board. While in law school, Burke was honored with eleven scholarships including the Academic Merit Scholarship, Association of Corporate Counsel Scholarship, Dean’s Scholarship, and University of Houston Distinguished Service to Women Award.

Burke interned for Judge Jennifer Elrod on the United States Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals, for Judge Nancy Atlas on the United States District Court for the Southern District of Texas, and for both Chief Justice Sherry Radack and Justice Laura Carter Higley on the Texas First Court of Appeals.

The case has also recently been publicized in The Fort Worth Star Telegram and CultureMap Dallas.